The Dillon tribune., 1887-12-09
ROASTED INDIANS.

.,r.A1ioN AS PRAc1tcEo eY THE
1HL,NkETs OF ALASKA
.,,,.r the spirit with u Square Meal.
,-... Awaiting Burial-Weird Scene
:, the Funcral-How the Cremation II
Conducted.
Among those Indians known as the
palinlets, who inhabit the coast "nd col'-
.:a,ous ] islands of southeastern Alaska,
,,xoctice of cremation is universal, ex-
~ r. the case of shanlans or medicine
.sr Sar whose spirits after death inhabit u
n;aher world apart from the common
n's W., and slaves who are considered
n.au sarco,v worthy of this distinction.
n,he rhlinket believes that shortly be-
.,.o death the spirit Of some loved friend
iv.. 'o,e before will appear to him, saying:
.s.Iv dear brother, or good friend, you can
,.st Int a few suns longer, and it is best
~ a. for life is but hard; SO be ready, for
,r;ll som come to lead your spirit to Il
land where all is happiness
With the last breath tidings go out to
.ha clan. who assemble with blackenetl
eaces to mourn the dead. and in former
rears the nearer relatives cut off the hair.
The corpse is now dressed in the most
ralued garments, the face decorated in
red and black, and placed in a sitting po-
sition. with back to the wall, opposite the
entrance. All the property of the tle-
.easel is now brought and piled on either
hand--thc Thlinket counts his wealth in
Nankcts, kept stored away in campl,or
wood or cedar chests. Masks. rattles,
robes. guns, hunting and fishing inplc-
mepts and dancing paraphernalia are
placed directly around; the head is sur
mounted by u grotcsquely carved wooden
mask in toteinic design, brilliant in it's in
laying of holiotis shell and topped by a
sfmi-transparent forest of SCI, lion Whisk-
ers. while over the body is thrown a
highly ornamental blanket. woven from
the finer fleece Of the mountain goat and
worked in black, white, yellow and blue
from old pattern boards that have been
handed down through generations until
the designs have become conventional
For three days the dead remains Il silent
spectator of household affairs. when have
to 60 on much rs usual, as Il number of
families live under the same roof. Wis
hors come and go, food is prepared at the
common central fire, and children tolldle
about tumbling over the sleeping dogs:
but a general air of quiet prevails until
nightfall, when the tribe assemble with
drum, rattle and dancing sticks, and to
their measured accompaniment keep time
in monotono,ls chant, eulogizing and Ia
menting the dead.
The scene is weird to a degree, the many
colored blankets, t..e blackened faces, the
walls hung with arms and fishing implc-
ments, the curiou.ly carved and colorcd
house posts; while fcstoons Of dried fish
and meat depend from, the roof, and all
seen through the 1itful flashes Of the great
cracking fire of cedar logs, over which at
intervals Oil is dashed to retlOublc the
effect
For three nights this scene is repeated,
but on the third day the wealth of the de-
ceased is distributed among the relatives,
each one receiving certain portion. as
Judged by popular consent
The funeral pyre is now erected directly
in rear OF the house or on the outskirts of
the village, in proximity to the shore.
Logs Of the fragrant yellow cedar are now
brought and laid upon each other. forming
hollow parallelogran seven feet long by
three wide. vt q height of from two to
three feet flooring of logs is laid leaving
air spaces between them, above which the
walls are continued for another foot Be-
heath the flooring and around the sides
Andling and spruce klots. saturated with
gum, are placed
All being in readiness. ON this, the
fourth, day, the class assemble, IL plank
removed from the sit!e or end of the
mouse, and through this opening the dead
carried on q mat made from the inner
"ark OF the red cedar, for it is IL strongly
nn
mat should the body pass through the
doorway, that later the death spri, would
feturn to claim more victims. AS the
oouy IS carried out an old woman takes
sv'ne Goals and burning fragments from
ule ife and scatters them after it, to drive
""as the spirit of death and cleanse the
passaeeway and aftcrward throws out Il
uos 20 accompany its masters spirit to the
world beyond,
:, lne procession now makes its way
s""is toward the place selected for ere
aa'oh, and when reached the body is
aeposlte'l oi. the raised flooring of the
pyle and torch applied to the rcsinous
apllhters am readily igniting the whole mass
nne women in full dancing Labilimcnts.
,:u so:aslsting OF u blue black blanket faced
, nl'n req cloth and orna,nentetl with hun
oa,' aaes's OF mother of pearl buttons. fancy
o., o"u'ea caps or headdresses of raven or
nas rasie feathers. immense earrings and nose
hi.''a1'''ts, II faces blackenel and CARRYING
deo. eAe right hand Il long pole, the end
htio.a'ed h,i'aaed with sprigs of evergreen and
ahas sn' streamess, form in i; half circle
rJva' WIZ Tue head of the pile. The men,
nre, m..n oahcins sticks and rattlcs, are
a;,o"pV. f;,"p on one side. The near.r rela-
ana NJ about prouiscuously moanipg
sh"n. @ "nlln=. The older men lead the
and and, " VI urge which is joined in hy all.
timo w. ~ us slow notes tho wul,;c', keep
sdo WY "i,n the body swayin; from side to